Box-fastener.



APPLICATION FILED 0T.8| 1912.

1,063,278 t v Patented June 3, 1913.

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LOBEGOTT MIOLLART, OF WATERTOWN, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO Gr. B. LEWIS COMPANY, OF WATER/TOWN, WISCONSIN.

BOX-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 19113.

To all LU/0m t may concern Be it known that I, LoBEGorT MOLLART, a citizen of the United States, and resident of lNatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of `Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box- Fasteners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination ofl parts hereinafter particularly set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims of this specication, its object being to provide simple, economical, durable and efficient automatic box-fasteners devoid of springs, said fasteners being especially designed for returnable shipping boxes having hinged covers.

Figure l of the drawings represents a front elevation of a box-fastener in accordance with my invention partly in section, the view being' indicated by line l-l the next described illustration; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view of the fastener indicated by line 2-2 in Fig. l, and Fig. 3, a plan view of said fastener.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, l indicates the bolt-member and 5 the keepermember of my improved box-fastener, both of said members `being' simple right-angle castings. The member l of the fastener is for the most part a horizontal plate rearwardly extended at its ends to provide attaching lugs 6 having apertures therein through which to drive nails or screws into the underside of a box-cover, said lugs being preferably somewhat offset from the re mainder of said plate. Between its lugs 6, said member 4 of the fastener is provided with an upper vertical flange 7, and a central forwardly projecting web 8 connects this flange and the plate aforesaid. The' fiange is provided with an aperture through which to drive a nail or screw into a boxcover and a finger opening is preferably provided in the web. Depending from the plate of the fastener member 4 is a preferably pointed and angular longitudinally slotted bolt 9. A pivot l0 and a stop-pin l1 are parallel in the bolt slot centrally of the same the pivot being lowermost. Supported eccentrically on said pivot are tumblers 12, and each tumbler has a play opening therein through which said pin passes.

rfhe member 5 is for the most part a horizontal plate having depending attaching lugs 13 provided with apertures through which to drive nails or screws into the front of a box-body and intermediate of its lugs said plate is rearwardly extended to provide a fiange la having an aperture therein through which to drive a nail or screw into an underlying edge of said boxbody. The fiange 14 is preferably somewhat offset from the plate of which it forms an extension, and said plate is provided with a central guide aperture l5 for the bolt aforesaid.

wing to the eccentric-ity of the tumblers 12, the same have a preponderance of weight in opposite directions from their pivot and by gravity they normally extend outward from the bolt 9 in which they are hung, there being automatic inward yield of said tumblers to clear the plate of the keepern member of the fastener when said bolt is moved down in the guide aperture with which said plate is provided. Because of the projection of the tumblers as aforesaid, the bolt is held against retraction after the tumblers have been carried thereby below the plate portion of the keeper section of the fastener, and there is a tendency of the aforesaid tumblers to dispose themselves in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. l.

To separate the fastener members, the tumblers above specified are pressed into the bolt-slot by the thumb and index finger of one hand of the operator, the other hand being employed to pull upon the bolt member until the bolt clears the guide aperture therefor in the keeper member. The pull upon the bolt member of the fastener may be accomplished by a grasp of its web 8 between a thumb and index finger or by hooking a finger in the opening with which said web is preferably provided.

To lock a box equipped with a fastener in accordance wit-h my invention it is only necessary to drop the box-cover into place, and it is preferable to provide the plates of the bolt and keeper members of said fastener with registering apertures 1G through which to pass a sealing strip or wire.

Various changes of detail of the fastener may be made wit-hout departure from the scope of my invention as claimed. For instance but one tumbler may suffice or more than two may be employed, and means other than those shown and described may be utilized to limit tumbler play.

The fasteners of return shipping' boxes are in most instances continually exposed to weather and should be so organized as to automatically lock without the use of an)7 springs whatever, because of the liability of springs to get out of order from rust or fracture, and keys or other means are generally necessary to operate the fastener' bolt or bolts against spring resistance. The springless fastener herein specified requires no key or other device to throw or retract the tumblers thereof, and said tumblers being eccentrically hung on a single pivot, it makes no difference whether the box equipped therewith is upside down or in any other position, so far as the security of the fastened lid is concerned, as said tumblers. will always fall so as to catch against the opposing keeper.

I claim:

l. A springless box-fastener comprising a bolt-member the bolt of which is longitudinally slotted, and a keeper-member having a guide for the bolt, these fastener-members being respectively attachable to the cover and body of a box; a pivot crossing the boltslot, a plurality of tumblers eccentrically hung in said slot on said pivot to thereby automatically dispose themselves outwardly by gravity in opposition to said keepermember of the fastener when the bolt is shot therein, the tumblers being then exposed to manual grip; and a stop-pin that also crosses the bolt-slot through play openings provided in said tumblers that are retractile 40 by the grip aforesaid into the contines of said bolt-slot preliminary to parting of said fastener.

Q. A springless box-fastener comprising a bolt-member the bolt of which is longitudinally slotted, and a keeper-member having a guide for the bolt, these fastener-members being respectively attachable to the cover and body of 'a box; a pivot crossing the boltslot; a tumbler eccentrically hung in said slot on said pivot to thereby automatically dispose itself outwardly by ygravity in opposi'tion tosaid keeper-member of the fastener when the bolt is shot therein, the tumbler being then exposed to manual grip; andv means with said bolt limiting outward pivotal play of said tumbler that is retractile into the confines of said bolt-slot preliminary to parting of the fastener.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at atertown in the county of Jefferson and State of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

LOBEGOTT MOLLART.

Witnesses Gr. C. Lewis, LAURA M. KABo'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner Yof Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

